Testing For Candida

Candida is something of a controversial illness, and many medical professionals have not yet recognized it. Regretfully, this means that many patients are turned away and do not get the help that they need.

The problem is that many of the symptoms of a Candida overgrowth are quite general and can be attributed to a number of other illnesses.

These days more and more doctors are starting to diagnose Candidiasis. If you can’t find a qualified doctor who is willing to practice some alternative medicine, try to find a local naturopath who will do the tests for you instead. Here are some tests you can do at home:

Candida Questionnaire

The Candida questionnaire was created by Dr. William Crook and is a useful tool for self-diagnosis. This questionnaire is appropriate for adults, both men and women. Print it out, complete each section and take it to your doctor.

The questionnaire itself is quite long so we have put it on a separate page – check it out here.

Spittle Test

Here’s a simple test that some Candida sufferers claim will diagnose your systemic Candidiasis. As we’ll mention below, the science behind this is a little suspect. Feel free to try the test, but take the results with a pinch of salt!

1. When you get up in the morning, and before you brush your teeth, eat or drink anything, fill a glass with bottled water at room temperature.

2. Spit some saliva gently into the glass.

3. Come back every 20 minutes for the next hour and check for some of these tell-tale signs of Candida:

- ‘Strings’ coming down through the water from the saliva at the top
– Cloudy saliva sitting at the bottom of the glass
– Opaque specks of saliva suspended in the water

So why do we think this test is unreliable? Ultimately, it tells you how thick your mucus is and very little else. And the thickness of your mucus is determined by many factors which actually have very little to do with systemic Candida or any other health problem.

If you have allergies or have recently eaten some dairy products, you will likely test ‘positive’ on the spittle test. Dehydration can also lead to a positive reading, which means that you are far more likely to test ‘positive’ after you wake in the morning.

Candidiasis diagnosis is no easy task, but your best bet is to go with how your feel, and ask your doctor for some blood tests. Read below to find out which tests you should get.

Lab Tests

If you and your doctor suspect that you have Candida overgrowth, these are the lab tests that he may run.

Blood Test
An Anti-Candida Antibodies, or Candida Immune Complexes test. There are 3 antibodies that should be tested to measure your immune system’s response to Candida – IgG, IgA, and IgM. High levels of these antibodies indicate that an overgrowth of Candida is present. This is the most reliable test for Candidiasis that you can find.

Stool Analysis
Your stool is directly analyzed for levels of yeast, pathogenic bacteria and friendly bacteria. However Candida often does not show up in this test, so the blood test is more reliable.

Urine Tartaric Acid Test
This test detects tartaric acid – a waste product of Candida yeast overgrowth. An elevated test means an overgrowth of Candida. Again, this test can be unreliable so the blood test is more likely to give an accurate result.

For lots more information on how to diagnose a Candida overgrowth, take a look at my Ultimate Candida Diet treatment program.

About The Candida Diet

Lisa Richards is an expert in digestive health and the author of the Ultimate Candida Diet program. She writes regular posts on the causes, symptoms and treatment of Candida, and has helped thousands of Candida sufferers recover from their condition.

Lisa's approach to beating Candida involves probiotics, natural antifungals and a low sugar diet. Using the right combination of these three elements is the best way to overcome a Candida overgrowth.

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These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Information is presented for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of your healthcare professional. Consult your doctor or health professional before starting a treatment or making any changes to your diet.